Chapter 21 and a half
by Deep Forest Green
Summary: Set immediately after the trial. Jem lets off some steam and, right after discovering one unpleasant truth about the world he lives in, finds out another. Oneshot.


A/N: This is my first TKAM fanfiction, and the 500th story under the category! :) Anyway, no profit is made or intended from playing with Harper Lee's wonderful book. All rights go to her.

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Jem Finch was seething. In truth, he was sadder than he'd ever been in his life; but he was no longer a child and he was too old to cry in public, so instead he was mad. He couldn't believe what had happened. He couldn't believe that his father, that the entire town of Maycomb, had failed so miserably. Now, there was only one thought on his mind. He was determined to seek out Mayella Ewell and get her on her own.

After walking down from the balcony in a daze long after everyone else had left, Jem waited until he saw that Scout and Dill were distracted. Then he slipped away down the corridor of the courthouse- he was sure that Dill would take Scout home without a problem- and wandered with a single-mindedness toward where he was sure Bob and Mayella Ewell must be resting after the trial. The prosecutor should still be out discussing the verdict.

Jem was still young enough that he could walk underfoot the adults without drawing much attention. Finally he found a door labeled "Prosecution". He gave it a nudge, and to his surprise- to his excitement and fear- he found it unlocked. He slowly creaked it open.

Suddenly Jem Finch found himself staring face to face with the scariest, saddest, strongest-looking girl he had ever seen. Gasping, he realized that she was familiar. He had seen her at a distance when she took the witness stand. But up close, she looked very different. Simultaneously more frightening and more vulnerable, like a caged animal.

"Who in tarnation are you?" Mayella demanded. "Who let you in the courthouse?"

"You're a dirty, filthy, stinking liar and coward," Jem spat angrily, finding his words. "You've sent an innocent man to his death just to save your own sorry hide."

"To- Mr. Robinson's not innocent," Mayella said as convincingly as she could. "He t-took advantage of me. You're too young to even know what that means."

"I know what it means that you took advantage of him," Jem countered. "You took advantage of the fact that he's black and you're white. You're no better than your father."

"You're Mr. Finch's boy," said Mayella, as it dawned on her. "Of course that skunk let you into the courthouse! Only a boy of that rat Finch would dare to defend a nigger!"

"Don't you dare insult my father," Jem shouted. "And Atticus told us never to say the word nigger!" He immediately covered his mouth in shock and shame.

"I bet he doesn't even know you came," said Mayella. "I bet he'd beat you good if he found out!"

"You and I both know that you're the one who deserves to be behind bars," Jem shot back. "You've committed per- perjur- "

"Listen to me, boy," said Mayella sternly, shaking Jem by the shoulders. "I've got little brothers. They ain't so different from you. They could be like you, if Pa'd spend more money on food and less on liquor. Now, I wouldn't want anything to happen to my little brothers an' sisters, jus' like I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to that li'l sister of yours. We both gotsa protect, an' that means shuttin' up an' doin' what we're told."

Suddenly a face appeared in the doorway, and Jem's blood froze in his veins. It was a familiar face, that of Bob Ewell. He wrapped his arm over Mayella's shoulder and stared at Jem with a look that would have made even a grown man tremble. But Jem stood his ground, gulping hard and trying not to show his fear.

Bob Ewell took one look at Jem and raised his eyebrows in recognition. He turned to Mayella and gave her a slap across the face. "What did you say to this boy?" he demanded. "What've you been tellin' him? Don't you know who that is? That's Finch's boy! His daddy prob'ly sent him here to spy on us! Are you _tryin_' to ruin our case? I'll teach you to talk!"

"Leave her alone, Ewell," Jem ordered. He didn't know why he was suddenly defending Mayella, but he couldn't stand to see this awful man hit anyone, even if she deserved it.

Bob Ewell's voice got dangerously low. He leaned down to Jem's eye level. "Trial's over, boy," he hissed. "Your daddy lost. It's time for you to go home. I've finally gotten justice for my Mayella. An' you- you don't belong here."

"I've got every right to be here," Jem began; and he would have said more, but Bob cut him off.

"I heard everything you said to my Mayella," he continued. "Little spitfire, aren't you? No discipline whatsoever. Never learned to hold your tongue, know your place. Like father, like child, eh, boy? The apple never falls far from the tree. The boy whose daddy defends niggers."

"He doesn't defend niggers," Jem shouted. "He defends black people!"

"Jem!" a voice boomed from outside. A hand turned the doorknob, but the door was locked. "Jem, are you in there? Let me in at once!"

Bob Ewell rushed to cover his mouth, but Jem shouted out, "Yes, Atticus, I'm in here!" before he could.

_Wow, so he really does call his father by his first name,_ thought Mayella._ I can't imagine if Pa let me call him Bob or Robert. If I tried, he'd probably thrash me for bein' disrespectful._

"Who else is in there? Unlock that door!" A muffled movement came from outside. "Bailiff! My son is in there!"

A key turned, and Atticus entered the dark room, grabbing Jem tightly and slapping him hard across the face. Mayella cringed, and Bob smiled. "Don't you ever run away from me like that again!" he ordered. "Where's your sister? Don't tell me Dill came here with you too!" Suddenly he looked up and saw Bob Ewell standing there across from him. He held Jem protectively and stood up to face his rival.

"I suggest you keep a closer eye on your son, Mr. Finch," Bob hissed threateningly through a grin. "If you let him wander around free, he might get hurt... or worse. He's no longer a child, Mr. Finch. You ought to have taught him boundaries. There are places that he simply cannot go. After all, he only thing worse than a nosy child... is a nosy adult. Snooping around where he isn't wanted."

"Jem isn't nosy, he's curious," said Atticus. "It's natural at his age. But you can rest assured that I will keep a closer eye on him in the future."

And with that, he led Jem away. But Jem kept on looking back.


End file.
